Nature Air

Purposely waiting until the day after Earth Day to post this commentary. It is really what happens to this Earth the other 364 days when we are not paying attention to it that matters. If you are writing for a blog that calls itself Nature Blog, you feel kind of compelled to pay some respects to this combination of celebration and loud siren of warning.

I believe our greed has sanctioned violations of excess without parallel in modern history. Over the course of the millennia, we have grown much more efficient, but no more intelligent. Cheap oil, followed by an explosion in technology, stewing in a soup of extraordinarily greedy financial institutions, and finally, seasoned by the relentless destruction of our natural environment, have created a catastrophic recipe with unbelievable consequences.

I would like to raise some questions on behalf of nature, who does not seem to have a voice in the discussion. What is it that ever gave man the idea that Earth, with all its finite natural resources and delicate life balances, was somehow placed here strictly for his convenience? Why is it that greed is a trait found only in the human species? How is it that our intellect has trumped our instincts? Why isn’t healing the planet more important than determining its origin?

The biggest question of all is what are we going to do about repairing the consequences of our actions?  Countries like Costa Rica are terribly challenged by the imbalance between their bountiful natural resources and very modest economic resources. It is difficult to preserve its exquisite natural beauty from the onslaught of unfettered commercial development. Well-intentioned laws are hard to enforce and environmental violations are not policed with sufficient manpower. The reasons for this are two fold: Lack of funds and a true political will to put the Earth first, ahead of commerce. There is nothing unique about this circumstance, but the country’s extraordinary natural gifts heighten the dilemma. The good news is that debate is growing louder in Costa Rica and the voices of preservation and community are being heard. The small number of conservationists and community activists has been growing over the decades.

The idea that maximizing profitability is the only yardstick for measuring success is precisely the thinking that has begun bankrupting our planet. The new world of sustainability has created three equally important units and we must navigate our future by using them to maintain our new course. Making money is no longer in charge; it now shares the stage with benefiting the people and safeguarding the Earth. Successful solutions incorporate these three basic elements and while there is balance between them, there is no exclusion of anyone for the benefit of any other. Like a tripod, it will topple over if one its legs are too weak.

When you look at Costa Rica through this thought prism called sustainability, you see a country well poised to chart a course through the minefield of challenges ahead. Like the rest of the players in the actual, Earth Survival Reality Show, winning is a matter of natural attributes, resources and will. However, in this game we really can’t afford any losers.

Now, if you have gotten this far into this post, I want to encourage you to read about Natureair by visiting their web site. While they are the folks who make Nature Blog possible, they are the same people who would want me to put the Earth first, especially the day after Earth Day, when it really counts.

Corporately, they don’t like to blow their own horn because being a responsible business is normal for them. On the other hand, you can only become an example through creating awareness. NatureKids is a splendid program the airline underwrites at an annual  cost of $65,000 USD. Equipment and supplies are provided for children, including computers, and they are taught English. Family involvement is encouraged in the program.

All of Natureair’s ground transportation runs on biodiesel they collect, refine and process. This is a great program and I encourage reading more about it.

No matter how efficiently the airline operates, they are definitely in the carbon emission business and all they can practically do is to purchase offsets. Well, the fact is, they were the first carbon neutral airline in the world, accomplishing it through the preservation and reforestation of portions of the pristine Osa Peninsula.

Happy Day After Earth Day.